OSESG-GL - Media Monitoring, 28 November 2014 · 27 novembre 2014 - Après plusieurs mois de...

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MEDIA MONITORING 28 November 2014

RDC : les premiers combattants FDLR désarmés sont a rrivés à Kisangani

Source: Jeune Afrique

Par Trésor Kibangula

27 novembre 2014 - Après plusieurs mois de tergiversations, les premiers combattants FDLR ayant déposé les armes sont arrivés jeudi à Kisangani. Au total, 217 personnes, ex-combattants, leurs femmes et enfants, ont rejoint le camp de cantonnement.

À moins de 40 jours de l'expiration de l'ultimatum accordé aux Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR) par les pays de la région, les premiers combattants du groupe armé ont rejoint, le 27 novembre, le camp de cantonnement de Kisangani aménagé pour les accueillir.

"Au total, 217 personnes ont atterri aujourd'hui [27 novembre] à l'aéroport de Bangoka et ont été immédiatement conduits au camp de regroupement au bord de bus affretés par le gouvernement provincial", confirme à Jeune Afrique Bil Tchagbele, responsable de la communication de la Mission de l'ONU pour la stabilisation du Congo (Monusco) à Kisangani.

Mais à l'en croire, "il y a plus de femmes et d'enfants dans le lot". Bil Tchagbele précise que ces éléments démobilisés sont arrivés en trois temps, à bord de deux vols de la Monusco et d'un autre avion affrété par le gouvernement congolais.

"Les gens ont peur"

À Kisangani où la société civile est opposée à cette relocalisation des FDLR, la ville est calme. "Les gens ont surtout peur de descendre dans les rues pour manifester, mais les Boyomais (les habitants de Kisangani) demeurent hostiles à la présence de ces




combattants rwandais dans leur ville", explique Pierre Kibaka, président du Groupe justice et libération, une ONG locale de défense de droits de l'homme.

"Tout le monde ici a gardé un mauvais souvenir des troupes rwandaises et ougandaises", ajoute-t-il, faisant référence à la "guerre de six jours" qui avait opposé à Kisangani en juin 2000 ces deux armées étrangères, qui soutenaient à l'époque des groupes rebelles opposés.

Former Rwandan rebels transferred to Congo transit camp

Source: Reuters

By Aaron Ross

Kinshasa, 26 November 2014 - Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo began to transfer former Rwandan rebels on Wednesday from disarmament camps in the east to a northern transit camp, the U.N. mission said, in an apparent first step to their relocation in a third country.

The ex-fighters belong to the FDLR, a Hutu militia implicated in Rwanda's 1994 genocide and blamed by the United Nations and human rights groups for atrocities in eastern Congo.

A government plane left from North Kivu province bound for a Congolese military camp in Kisangani with around 90 of the camp's more than 300 residents, said Charles Bambara, spokesman for the U.N. mission, or MONUSCO.

Another plane was expected to transport former fighters and their families from a second disarmament camp in South Kivu province to Kisangani, Bambara said.

Eastern Congo is plagued by rebel groups but the removal of FDLR would rid the region of a militia that has been at the heart of regional conflict for more than a decade.

Congo proposed a military base in the city of Kisangani earlier this year as a transit camp for the former fighters and their families who do not wish to return to Rwanda while a third country, possibly in Africa, is sought for relocation.

Until now, however, the group has refused to be relocated. It has offered no reason, but analysts see a possible reluctance to lose influence on the ground in eastern Congo when its fighters depart.

The transfer comes ahead of a Jan. 2 deadline issued in July by the Southern African Development Community and International Conference on the Great Lakes Region to the FDLR to disarm or face military intervention by Congolese and U.N. forces.




Last month, the U.N. Security Council and the other international bodies noted an absence of progress toward the disarmament of the FDLR's estimated 1,500 remaining fighters. A spokesman for the FDLR could not be reached for comment.

(Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Susan Fenton)

Terrified DR Congo refugees prefer hunger to home

Source: AFP

27 November 2014 - "I don't want to go home! What I saw there won't let me go back," cried Sakina Okenge, who fled her birthplace in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo three years ago in terror at attacks by Rwandan rebels.

Thousands like her prefer to live in abject poverty in refugee camps rather than risk being raped, killed or robbed by the Hutu rebels who were chased into this blighted part of the vast central African country following the Rwandan genocide two decades ago.

"Even if they're chased out, deep down inside I'm afraid to go home," the 50-year-old Okenge told AFP. "I saw people killed and women raped before my eyes."

Despite facing hunger, and struggling to put their children through school, many of those sheltering at Lukwangulo and other refugee camps in mineral-rich Katanga province feel the same way.

Fighters of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) have been terrorising their homeland ever since they were driven out of Rwanda in 1994, accused of taking part in the massacre of at least 800,000 people, mostly minority Tutsis.

Murders, looting and the forced recruitment of local youths have not stopped since the FDLR -- said to number around 1,500 fighters -- set up bases in the troubled eastern provinces of North and South Kivu as well as parts of Katanga, further to the southeast.

Congolese authorities have warned the FDLR to disarm by January 2 or face a joint offensive by the army and an intervention brigade of the large UN mission in the country.

But the army and the UN are already struggling to defeat Ugandan rebels who have massacred up to 200 people in a gruesome series of machete attacks in North Kivu province in the last month.

- 'My children were killed' -

Most people at Lukwangulo camp fled for their lives from South Kivu, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) to the north.




While hacking through a forest as he escaped, Bonet Kilauli, 37, was bitten by a snake on the foot. He tried to cure the infection with herbal remedies, "but gangrene set in and my leg fell off by itself. I treated the stump with plants."

Kilauli, who has seven children, is among those determined to stay. "I lost my mother, my two older brothers... In light of what I've known, I don't want to go back to South Kivu -- even if the FDLR are chased out."

Tabu Shamani, a 53-year-old mother from the same village, is similarly traumatised. "I had 11 children. Two were killed and my husband too. I won't go back for anything in the world. Nothing proves that it's safe and if I return I'm going to lose more children."

The Pygmy chief of Lukwangulo, Kabwa Asumani Lukwangulo, has taken in the displaced people without discrimination, regardless of tensions that exist elsewhere between Pygmies and Bantus in the region.

"When we arrived, he gathered strips of cassava for us," said Assani Selemani, a teacher who arrived in 2010. "He alerted relief workers to our situation, he put us to work... He's a good chief."

As a teacher, Selemani was allowed to put his children in the local school, but many parents are unable to pay the monthly fee of 2,500 Congolese francs (2.15 euros, $2.7) for their education.

Displaced people work for local farmers but often they are only paid with cassava -- not enough to live on.

- Aid rations cut -

The Katanga region may be one of the most mineral-rich in the world, with huge reserves of cobalt, copper, uranium and diamonds, but the refugees are staring hunger in the face.

Last week, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said it was "deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Katanga", estimating the number of displaced people in the province at 600,000.

"The limited presence of humanitarian organisations is a serious problem, leading to insufficient assistance to displaced people who struggle to have access to basic services," the agency warned.

With the UN's World Food Programme suffering from a global cash shortage, staff have had to cut rations by half because of lack of funds.

"The line between 'poor' families and those judged 'acceptable' is very fine," said the local WFP chief Jean de la Croix Bouladeyi Bassono, whose staff must decide who goes without rations.




"If only someone could help us by creating activities that generate income," said Okenge, who is in charge of the women in the camp.

Selemani the teacher is trying to obtain seeds and ploughing tools. "We're not going to hold our hand out to the WFP the whole time," he said.

RDC : le désarmement des FDLR expliqué à ceux qui o nt raté le début


Par Trésor Kibangul

27 novembre 2014 - Les rebelles des Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR) ont commencé fin mai à se rendre. Une reddition jusqu'ici timide mais suffisante pour obtenir la suspension des opérations militaires engagées contre eux. Des questions persistent cependant sur leur cantonnement en RDC, en attendant leur retour hypothétique au Rwanda.

Le sujet est sensible, le terrain glissant. À Kigali comme à Kinshasa, voire dans les autres capitales de la région, le "désarmement volontaire" des rebelles des Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR), entamé timidement fin mai, est au centre des préoccupations. Récapitulons.

1. Qui a décidé de la reddition ?

Depuis la création fin mars 2013 d'une brigade d'intervention des Nations unies au sein de la Monusco, la donne a changé dans l'est de la RDC. En appui à l'armée congolaise, les quelque 3 000 militaires de cette force internationale, provenant de la Tanzanie, du Malawi et de l'Afrique du Sud, ont aidé activement à mettre fin début décembre à la rébellion du Mouvement du 23-Mars (M23), avant de s'attaquer aux rebelles ougandais des Forces démocratiques alliées (ADF).

Quant à la traque des éléments des FDLR, actifs dans le Nord-Kivu et le Sud-Kivu, la problématique est beaucoup plus complexe. Sans doute à cause des liens entre ces combattants rwandais et certains dirigeants locaux de l'armée congolaise, comme indiqué début juillet dans le dernier rapport de mi-parcours du nouveau groupe d'experts onusiens sur la RDC.

Quoiqu'il en soit, à en croire des sources locales, aucune opération militaire d'envergure n'a été engagée sur le terrain contre les FDLR. À la place, ces rebelles rwandais ont multiplié des signaux de paix. D'abord en décembre, en faisant savoir leur intention d'abandonner la lutte armée, puis en annonçant dans une lettre datée du 18 avril et envoyée aux pays de la Communauté de développement de l'Afrique australe (SADC) qu'ils commenceront à déposer les armes le 30 mai au Nord-Kivu et au Sud-Kivu.




2. Combien de combattants FDLR seront-ils concernés ?

Jusqu'ici, ce n'est qu'une timide reddition des rebelles FDLR. "Le 30 mai, ils n'étaient que quelque 103 combattants - dont 6 officiers et 102 armes - à se rendre au Nord-Kivu. Depuis, ils ont été rejoints par 142 membres de leurs familles", confie à Jeune Afrique une source onusienne. Au Sud-Kivu voisin, seuls 83 combattants ont rendu leurs armes, avant d'être plus tard rejoints par "224 dépendants", entendez femmes, enfants et autres membres de l'entourage proche.

"Ce n'est qu'un premier lot pour démontrer notre bonne foi", affirme La Forge Fils Bazeye, porte-parole des FDLR, se refusant toutefois de révéler le nombre des combattants qui attendent encore d'être désarmés. "Vous le saurez à la fin du processus", promet-il. Que reste-t-il vraiment de ces rebelles rwandais ? Kinshasa maintient que son armée a déjà réduit de "plus de 80 %" le nombre des FDLR. Mais Kigali n'en croit pas un mot. Même si de l'avis de plusieurs experts qui travaillent sur la question, on ne compterait aujourd'hui qu'entre 1500 et 2000 combattants FDLR éparpillés dans l'est de la RDC.

3. Où vont-ils être regroupés ?

En attendant d'y voir clair, c'est le cantonnement en RDC des rebelles FDLR qui fait débat. Où seront-ils regroupés avant leur retour hypothétique au Rwanda ? Les boucliers sont déjà levés au Nord-Kivu et au Sud-Kivu. "Pas chez nous !", tonne Me Omar Kavota, un de responsables de la société civile locale. Une position majoritairement partagée par les élus locaux des deux provinces du Kivu dont les populations civiles ont souvent été victimes des exactions de ces combattants rwandais pendant près de deux décennies. Conséquence : les éléments FDLR ne seront donc pas regroupés à Walikale ni à Beni, dans le Nord-Kivu, comme avançaient certaines rumeurs.

Kinshasa a finalement décidé de les envoyer "provisoirement" à Kisangani, dans le nord-est du pays. "Ils seront ensuite regroupés dans le camp militaire de l'armée à Irebu, dans l'ouest du pays", assure Lambert Mende, le porte-parole du gouvernement. Une option jugée "inacceptable" par les FDLR. "Ce n'est pas pratique de nous envoyer à Irebu, à plus de 2000 km de notre pays alors que nous déposons les armes précisément pour y retourner. Nous voulons rentrer chez nous !" martèle La Forge Fils Bayeze, porte-parole des FDLR.

Des dispositions prises par Kinshasa sont donc encore loin de calmer les esprits. "Relocaliser les FDLR dans le territoire national n'est pas la solution", martèle Juvenal Munubo. Pour l'élu de Walikale, "la communauté internationale doit convaincre Kigali d'accueillir ses ressortissants, du moins ceux qui n'ont pas été impliqués au génocide de 1994. Car, poursuit-il, considérer tout combattant FDLR comme génocidaire constitue une embuche à la paix". En attendant, les combattants démobilisés FDLR sont regroupés dans des camps de transit à Kanyabayongo dans le Nord-Kivu et à Kigogo dans le Sud-Kivu.




4. Le rôle des Nations unies

Qu'en pensent les Nations unies ? Du côté de la Monusco, on botte en touche. "Dans cette affaire, nous nous contentons d'apporter un soutien technique et logistique", confie une source au sein de la mission onusienne en RDC. Dès le départ, les FDLR voulaient plus de garantie pour déposer les armes. "Nous avions exigé la présence de la SADC [Communauté de développement de l'Afrique australe, NDRL] avant de désarmer", rappelle La Forge Fils Bayeze.

Mais au final, c'est dans deux camps de transit tenus par les Casques bleus que sont regroupés les rebelles rwandais qui se sont rendus, ainsi que leurs familles. "C'est le gouvernement seul qui décide où relocaliser ces FDLR avant leur rapatriement au Rwanda ou dans un autre pays d'accueil. En attendant, nous avons demandé à la Monusco de les rassembler dans des camps de transit", explique Lambert Mende.

5. Que demandent les FDLR en échange ?

Du côté des FDLR, le point de vue est beaucoup plus nuancé. "Il ne s'agit pas d'une reddition comme beaucoup veulent faire croire, insiste La Forge Fils Bayeze. Nous avons décidé de mettre fin à nos activités militaires pour nous engager dans la lutte politique dans notre pays." Autrement dit, en échange de ce "désarmement volontaire", les dirigeants FDLR espèrent à la clé l'ouverture d'un dialogue politique avec Kigali.

Dans cette perspective, quelques dirigeants FDLR se sont rendus fin juin à Rome. Par l'entremise de la communauté religieuse Sant'Egidio, ils ont pu rencontrer plusieurs représentants de la communauté internationale qui travaillent sur la situation sécuritaire dans les Grands Lacs. Une réunion qui n'a pas plu à Kigali, les FDLR étant considéré par les autorités rwandaises comme un "mouvement d'idéologie génocidaire".

RDC : l'ONU renforce ses troupes dans le territoire de Beni

Source: Agence de presse Xinhua

Par : Liang Chen

25 November 2014 - Après le massacre de plus de 15 personnes jeudi dernier par des rebelles présumés ougandais de l'ADF, la Mission de Nations Unies pour la Stabilisation en RDC (MONUSCO) a renforcé ses troupes dans le territoire de Beni, dans la province du Nord-Kivu (est).

Le Bureau de la MONUSCO à Beni a annoncé lundi que deux compagnies supplémentaires, envoyées par les contingents tanzanien et malawite de la Brigade d'intervention, étaient déployées à Eringeti, Mutwanga et à la hauteur du pont Semuliki, sur l'axe routier Mbau-Kamango.




"Nous avons besoin d'assez d'éléments militaires pour bien remplir notre mandat de protection des civils dans cette zone en proie à l'insécurité", a indiqué Jacob Mogeni, chef de bureau de la MONUSCO à Beni.

"Depuis l'arrivee de ces nouvelles troupes, nous sommes capables d'organiser des patrouilles tant pendant la nuit que la journee. Cela conjointement avec l'armée congolaise" a indiqué Moussa Demba Diallo, chef de la division de l'information publique du Bureau de la MONUSCO à Beni.

Selon le site internet de l'ONU, l'envoyé spécial du secrétaire général pour la région des Grands Lacs, Saïd Djiniit, s'est dit profondément préoccupé par la multiplication des incidents et des massacres à Beni, en République démocratique du Congo, qui ont coûté la vie à plus d'une centaine de civils, principalement des femmes et des enfants, au cours des dernières semaines.

M. Djinnit a fermement condamné ces massacres, appelant le gouvernement rd-congolais à traduire devant la justice ceux qui sont derrière ces massacres.

Il a également demandé aux groupes armés actifs dans l'est de la RDC de se dissoudre de manière définitive, conformément aux résolutions du Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU.

Il a encouragé la MONUSCO à redoubler d'efforts pour lutter contre le regain de violence visant les civils, en coopération avec les forces armées de la RDC (FARDC),

Saïd Djinnit a noté que l'aggravation de la situation dans la région de Beni confirme qu'il faut "neutraliser toutes les forces négatives en RDC".

Selon lui, la persistance de ces forces négatives "contribue à perpétuer la méfiance à un moment où les pays des Grands Lacs devraient oublier leurs différends et s'éloigner des tragédies du passé pour construire un avenir pacifique et prospère commun, comme le prévoit l'Accord-Cadre sur la paix, la sécurité et la coopération pour la RDC et la région".

Spokesman: UN peacekeepers detained in Congo bought military uniforms for personal use

Kinshasa, 27 November 2014 - U. N. peacekeepers who were detained for possessing Congolese military uniforms apparently bought them to wear while hunting back home, a spokesman for the force said Thursday.

The six members of a Ukrainian aviation crew were found Wednesday with the uniforms, including ones for the presidential guard, at the airport in Goma in eastern Congo.




The incident could further undermine confidence in the force, which has come under criticism for not doing enough to stop attacks on civilians.

Spokesman Lt. Col. Felix Basse tried to play down the incident, telling U.N.-backed Radio Okapi that the investigation was taking place "in total calm" and with the force's full cooperation.

"A Ukrainian solider admitted that he wanted to buy the uniforms to use them in Ukraine for hunting," he said, indicating that it was an isolated incident. He added that the investigation will determine if the explanation is true.

The 21,000-strong U.N. force patrols eastern Congo, which is home to armed groups competing for control of the region's vast mineral resources. The Congo conflict is mainly a spillover from the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda. Hundreds of Hutus who participated in the mass slaughter escaped into Congo and still fight there along with other armed groups.

RDC - Massacres à Beni : des députés réclament l'ou verture d'une enquête parlementaire


26 novembre 2014 - Dans un rapport, douze députés congolais, de retour de cinq jours de mission à Beni, territoire endeuillé par une série de massacres depuis début octobre, fustigent les défaillances de l'armée et réclament l'ouverture d'une enquête parlementaire.

À Beni, plus de 200 personnes ont été tuées en moins de trois mois. Une recrudescence de l'insécurité et de la violence contre les populations civiles qui a motivé la descente sur le terrain d'une mission parlementaire constituée de douze députés, issus à la fois de la majorité au pouvoir et de l'opposition.

Après cinq jours de travail sur le terrain, ces élus ont noté plusieurs défaillances au sein de l'armée congolaise. À en croire leur rapport - dont RFI dit avoir obtenu une copie -, les Forces armées de la RDC (FADC) ne sont toujours pas réactives pour empêcher les tueries à répétition dans ce territoire du Nord-Kivu.

Le système d'alerte, notamment, n'a pas fonctionné, selon les députés. Aucune mesure préventive n'a été prise, par exemple chaque fois que des tracts annonçaient l'imminence des massacres. Pis, un commandant de la police aurait ordonné la fermeture des deux numéros verts d'alerte mis en place par la Mission onusienne à l'attention des populations.

Enquête parlementaire et couvre-feu




Autant d'éléments troublants qui nécessitent la mise en place d'une commission d'enquête parlementaire, préconise le rapport.

En attendant, Julien Paluku, le gouverneur de Nord-Kivu, a décrété à partir de lundi un couvre-feu de 18 heures à 6 heures sur toute l'entendue du territoire de Beni. Il a été également déconseillé aux habitants d'aller cultiver dans des zones opérationnelles. Ces mesures seront-elles suffisantes pour dissuader les assaillants ? Rien n'est moins sûr.

Tiffany and Signet Lead Jewelry World, “Getting Eng aged” on Congo Gold

Press Releases

New Review Announces Top Jewelers Supporting Conflict-Free Gold Trade

Holiday Season ‘Jewelry Leaders Review’ Offers Shoppers Way to Support Peace in Mining Communities in Congo

Monday, November 24, 2014 - Two giants of the jewelry world, Signet Jewelers (parent company of jewelry retailers Zales®, Jared®, and Kay®) and Tiffany & Co., were announced today [24 November 2014] as the industry’s leaders taking action to support peace and a conflict-free gold trade in Congo. The Enough Project’s “#CongoGold Jewelry Leaders Review” offers an opportunity for consumers to make informed, responsible choices when purchasing gold jewelry during the holiday gift-giving season.

The result of a year-long project researching the top retailers of gold jewelry, the Jewelry Leaders Review is designed to encourage responsible supply chain practices to help stem the tide of “conflict gold.” Illicitly mined and smuggled gold currently funds armed groups responsible for atrocities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Along with Tiffany and Signet, the Review identifies three companies also taking initial important steps in the conflict-free Congo gold effort: J.C. Penney, Cartier, and Target.

Holly Dranginis , Enough Project Policy Analyst and lead author of the report "Going for Gold," said, “We strongly encourage anyone buying gold jewelry to consider how their shopping choices can help to transform a brutal, criminalized trade into a responsible, flourishing enterprise. We've identified two companies that truly stand apart in their efforts to make gold jewelry a product that represents not only luxury and love, but also peace.”

Sasha Lezhnev , Associate Director of Policy for Congo, Great Lakes Region and LRA at the Enough Project, said "The conflict gold trade is funding armed groups in




eastern Congo, but jewelers are starting to recognize both their opportunity and their responsibility to support a conflict-free trade. The leading work of Signet and Tiffany, as well as the initial efforts of J.C. Penney, Cartier, and Target, should be celebrated as critical first steps. If jewelers follow through and invest in responsible sourcing programs from Congo, it would help end a deadly trade."

The Jewelry Leaders Review mirrors an effort by the Enough Project to evaluate the consumer electronics industry, which helped spur Intel, Motorola Solutions, and other leading companies to transform electronics industry sourcing practices. Today, two-thirds of mines in eastern Congo from three of the four conflict minerals are conflict-free.

John Prendergast , Enough Project Founding Director, said, “Today, many companies producing laptops and smartphones have cleaned up their act and are working hard to ensure the minerals that go into their products are not stained by atrocities and armed violence. But gold is still a major driver and funder of violence in Congo and the Great Lakes region. As the biggest end-user of gold, the jewelry industry has an opportunity to be a game-changer for peace.”

Coinciding with the announcement of jewelry leaders, the Enough Project published an associated report, "Going for Gold: Engaging the Jewelry Industry in Responsible Gold Sourcing in Africa’s Great Lakes Region.”

“For thousands of years, gold has represented l ove, tradition, wealth, beauty, and decadence. In the United States alone, these as sociations cause the gold jewelry industry to be worth more than five billion dollars annually. Halfway around the world, however, the extraction and smugg ling of gold serves as an important means of funding for armed groups and arm y commanders in the deadliest conflict since World War II. In the Democ ratic Republic of the Congo, violent armed actors mine, tax, and smuggle gold an d perpetrate widespread atrocities.” - Excerpt, “Going for Gold”

About the #CongoGold Jewelry Leaders Review:

Based on a year-long program of in-depth research, direct engagement with jewelry companies, and industry surveys to evaluate proactive initiatives and business practices for the responsible sourcing of gold from Congo and the Great Lakes region, the Enough Project has developed the #CongoGold Jewelry Leaders Review. The Review is the first-ever comprehensive study identifying the leading jewelry companies engaged to constructively address the issue of conflict gold from Congo.

In developing the Jewelry Leaders Review, the Enough Project gathered information from jewelry companies on four main categories of engagement:

1. Conflict-Free Gold Sourcing: Is the company sourcing conflict-free gold from Congo?




2. Company Policy: Does the company have a policy articulating its commitment to gold sourcing practices that do not support armed conflict and gross human rights abuses, and has it shared that policy with its employees?

3. Engagement with Suppliers: Has the company engaged with its suppliers on its conflict gold policy and worked with them on strategies for sourcing conflict-free gold from Congo?

4. Participation in Conflict-Free Gold Initiatives in Congo: Is the company supporting programs to help build a conflict-free gold trade in Congo and the Great Lakes region, including alternative livelihoods and community development programs?

Read the Enough Project report, “Going for Gold: Engaging the Jewelry Industry in Responsible Gold Sourcing in Africa’s Great Lakes Region”: ttp://eno.ug/1F9XA3A

To learn more about the #CongoGold Jewelry Leaders Review and Enough’s “Look who’s getting engaged” campaign: enoughproject.org/CongoGold

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact: Greg Hittelman,

+1 310-717-0606, [email protected]

###

The Enough Project is a project of the Center for American Progress aiming to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, Enough focuses on the crises in Sudan, South Sudan, eastern Congo, Central African Republic, and areas affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough conducts intensive field research, develops practical policies to address these crises, and shares sensible tools to empower citizens and groups working for change. To learn more: www.enoughproject.org.

Burundi Under Increased UN Scrutiny

Source: Iwacu (Burundi).

ByLorraine Josiane Manishatse, Jojanneke Spoor

26 November 2014 - The UN Human Rights Committee published a critical report on the situation in Burundi. The Security Council subsequently discussed the stability in Burundi and the UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide says that Burundi must increase the political space for dialogue "to avert the worst".

The UN Committee on Human Rights published its concluding remarks late October based on the second periodic report of Burundi, which was 17 years late. The list of recommendations is long and elaborate. It includes issues such as the discrimination of albino's, homosexuals and women. The committee lso expressed specific concern




about allegations of a large number of extrajudicial killings, especially in the ftermath of the 2010 elections. Proper investigations have not been carried out. The committee urges the government to take all necessary and effective measures to combat impunity. "The State party should strengthen training in human rights (...) aimed at security forces and defense."

Mere days after the report was published, the security situation in Burundi was discussed in the UN Security Council. The meeting on November 5th was held as the United Nations Office in Burundi (BNUB) prepares to withdraw at the end of 2014. BNUB's Head Parfait Onanga-Anyanga stressed the need for continued international support ahead of critical elections in 2015 and in face of development challenges. "Burundi will continue to need strong support from all its partners to overcome outstanding challenges and implement its national poverty alleviation and development strategy", he said. In a separate meeting, commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the top UN advisor on preventing genocide warned of a rise in political violence. Burundi, he said, needed to see “an enlargement of the space for freedom so that human rights are respected".

Adama Dieng, the Special Adviser to the United Nation ecretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, indicated all political actors in Burundi should commit to dialogue to prevent the worst from happening. "I urge Burundian authorities, political parties and civil society organizations to manage the political d i f f e r e n c e s that exist in Burundi in a constructive way", he said, adding that it's important to have confidence in one another in order to break the cycle of violence ahead of the 2015 elections. "No state should claim sovereignty in order to quietly commit urders." "The governing party is not alone in its responsibility for security.

Everybody must be vigilant. The government has the primary responsibility because members of the governing party occupy the most mportant posts related to protection and national security", he says.

BNUB leaves ahead of the 2015 elections

While concluding his BNUB mandate, Mr. Onanga-Anyanga seemed pleased with the overall achievements. He said that Burundi has continued to enjoy a mainly stable security environment, with a drop in political violence. In his briefing to the UN Security Council, Mr. Onanga-Anyanga mentioned regular calls by the President of the ruling party warning perpetrators against disruption of public meetings and threats against members of opposition parties, civil society organizations and journalists. However, worries remain. Burundi's last elections in 2010 were boycotted by most opposition parties.

In the run up to next year's polls, opposition leaders are again accusing the ruling CNDD-FDD party of eliminating any dissent. Problems with the Independent National Electoral Commission and trials of major opposition figures have led to renewed accusations of partiality on the part of the Government. "It is not too late to transform




these misunderstandings into an opportunity to reinforce trust in the electoral process", Mr. Onanga-Anyanga said.

Burundi: l'ONU dénonce le harcèlement "inacceptable " des défenseurs des droits de l'Homme

Source: AFP

Bujumbura, 25 novembre 2014 - Le rapporteur spécial de l'ONU sur la situation des défenseurs des droits de l'Homme a dénoncé mardi à Bujumbura "une escalade inacceptable dans le harcèlement" de ces personnes au Burundi.

"J'ai été frappé, lors de mes contacts avec les autorités du pays et avec certaines institutions de la République, du fait que les défenseurs des droits de l'Homme sont assimilés à des opposants politiques", a déclaré Michel Forst devant la presse, dénonçant "le sérieux des menaces" pesant sur ces personnes.

M. Forst s'est alarmé de l'arrestation de Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa, président de la principale organisation burundaise de défense des droits de l'Homme (Aprodeh), de la radiation "inique" du bâtonnier Isidore Rufyikiri et des "menaces proférées à l'encontre de Pacifique Nininahazwe"

M. Mbonimpa a été arrêté en mai pour "atteinte à la sûreté de l'Etat" après la publication, dans la presse locale, d'une note confidentielle de l'ONU faisant état d'une distribution d'armes par le gouvernement à de jeunes militants, que Bujumbura avait démentie. Il a bénéficié d'une liberté provisoire en septembre pour raisons de santé.

Le bâtonnier Rufyikiri a été radié en janvier, accusé de violation de serment pour avoir, selon le ministère public, appelé au soulèvement contre le gouvernement. En cause: une lettre adressée au gouverneur d'une région du Nord-Ouest, dans laquelle il accusait le pouvoir de "chercher à spolier" de sa terre l'un de ses clients et de ressembler "à une dictature fasciste".

Pacifique Nininahazwe, l'une des principales figures de la société civile burundaise, a quant à lui été publiquement menacé à plusieurs reprises par les plus hautes autorités du pays.

D'autres personnes, dont des journalistes, ont subi de "très nombreux cas de menaces physiques, appels téléphoniques anonymes, harcèlement judiciaire", a ajouté M. Forst. D'autres encore ont fait état "de menaces sur les membres de leur famille", qu'ils ont dû "mettre à l'abri à l'étranger".

Le rapporteur a également dénoncé des tentatives de restreindre la liberté d'expression et la liberté des médias, l'interdiction "arbitraire" des manifestations d'organisations de




la société civile et un projet de loi qui, s'il était adopté, "mettrait en péril le principe même de la liberté associative".

Il a enfin appelé les autorités burundaises "à garantir tous les droits des défenseurs des droits de l'Homme à la veille des importantes échéances électorales que le pays va connaître prochainement".

Le Burundi organise en 2015 une élection présidentielle cruciale.

L'opposition en ordre dispersé au Burundi pour cont rer Nkurunziza

Source: AFP/RFI

Par Pierre Andrieu

24 novembre 2014 - Au Burundi, malgré l’objectif commun à toute l’opposition, le « tout-sauf-Pierre-Nkurunziza » et son parti le Cndd-FDD en 2015, l’opposition burundaise n’est pas encore parvenue à former la grande coalition que tout le monde appelle de tous ses vœux. Au contraire, on s’achemine depuis la semaine passée vers la création de deux grandes coalitions d’opposition concurrentes, à six mois des élections générales.

Il y a d’abord l’Alliance démocratique pour le changement au Burundi, l’ADC-Ikibiri, une coalition qui regroupe la dizaine de partis qui ont boycotté les législatives et la présidentielle de 2010 dans ce pays. Animée essentiellement par les partis Frodebu, UPD et MSD, ce groupe s’est rendu célèbre par son opposition très farouche au pouvoir du président Pierre Nkurunziza et de son parti le Cndd-FDD. Mais après plusieurs mois de négociations, ses leaders ne sont pas parvenus à convaincre toute l’opposition de se rallier sous leur bannière.

C’est ce qui explique la naissance depuis la semaine passée d’un second bloc d’opposition qui veut ratisser plus large. Initié secrètement par une alliance historique entre les deux ailes majoritaires des ex-rebelles hutus des FNL, jusqu’ici dans l’ADC-Ikibiri, et du principal parti tutsi du Burundi l’Uprona, il a déjà attiré trois autres partis dont le Frodebu du docteur Jean Minani.

Ce qui coince entre les deux pôles d’opposition, «essentiellement un problème d’egos», regrette plusieurs leaders d’opposition, alors que tout reste à faire. Dans les deux groupes, on n’a pas encore de plateforme politique ou de listes communes et le candidat unique à la présidentielle de 2015 n’a pas encore été choisi.




Début des inscriptions sur les listes électorales a u Burundi en vue des scrutins de 2015

Source : Panapress

24 novembre 2014 - Les inscriptions sur les listes électorales ont débuté ce lundi pour deux semaines au Burundi, en dépit de la demande insistante d’une dizaine de partis politiques de l’opposition de reporter d’au moins deux semaines cette opération pour leur permettre de mieux s’y préparer.

Les opérations sont radiodiffusées en direct par des médias indépendants qui ont dépêché des reporters aux quatre coins du pays où aucun incident majeur n’avait été signalé en fin de matinée.

Les Burundais se rendront aux urnes entre les mois de mai et août 2015 pour renouveler les élections présidentielles, législatives et locales.

Burundi : l’opposition demande le report de l’inscr iption des électeurs

Source: Le Griot.info

Par Steven Addamah

24 novembre 2014 - L’opposition burundaise a demandé le report de l’inscription des électeurs en vue des élections générales de 2015, estimant que l’opération risque d’être entachée de fraudes et de violences. Cette requête a été formulée par l’ensemble des dix principaux partis d’opposition, parmi lesquels figure notamment une importante faction des Forces Nationales de Libération (FNL), un ancien groupe rebelle hutu dirigé par Agathon Rwasa.

cndd-fdd« Nous avons demandé à la Commission électorale nationale (CENI) de reporter l’opération d’enrôlement des électeurs, dans le but de corriger certaines irrégularités concernant le recrutement des personnes chargées d’enregistrer les électeurs », a déclaré Tacien Sibomana, le porte-parole de l’UPRONA (Union Pour le Progrès National), s’exprimant au nom des dix partis d’opposition. Selon lui, la plus part des personnes chargées d’enregistrer les électeurs sont des partisans du CNDD-FDD, le parti au pouvoir, ce qui risque de remettre en cause la transparence et l’impartialité de l’opération.

M.Sibomana estime que des actes de violences récurrents ces derniers temps dans le pays ne sont pas de nature à instaurer un environnement favorable au bon déroulement de cette opération qui doit s’étendre du 24 novembre au 7 décembre. A titre d’exemple, il a cité de récentes attaques perpétrées à Bujumbura et dans certaines zones rurales du pays par des hommes armés de machettes et soupçonnés d’être de jeunes partisans du CNDD-FDD. Ce que le gouvernement avait démenti, estimant que les




malfrats seraient en réalité d’anciens prisonniers ayant bénéficié de l’amnistie présidentielle.

Cependant, la Commission électorale nationale a fait savoir qu’il n’y avait aucune raison de reporter l’opération d’enrôlement des électeurs. Le Burundi s’apprête organiser en mai 2015 des élections législatives et communales, qui seront suivies de l’élection présidentielle en juin, et des sénatoriales en juillet. Selon la CENI, près de 4,2 millions d’électeurs participeront à ces scrutins.

Le Burundi ratifie le protocole portant création de l'Union monétaire de la CEA

Source: Xinhua

26 novembre 2014 - L'Assemblée nationale ( chambre basse) du Burundi a adopté mercredi [26 novembre], à l'unanimité, le Protocole portant création de l'Union monétaire de la Communauté est-africaine (CEA) signé par les chefs d'Etat des cinq pays de la Communauté le 30 novembre 2013 à Kampala en Ouganda.

"L'Union monétaire de la CEA a pour objectif de promouvoir et maintenir la stabilité monétaire et financière visant à faciliter l'intégration économique afin d'atteindre la croissance et le développement durables de la Communauté", a expliqué aux députés le ministre de la Bonne gouvernance et de la Privatisation, Ernest Mberamiheto.

Il a justifié l'adhésion à ce protocole par des avantages qui vont en résulter, y compris l'élimination des coûts de transitions avec les partenaires, notamment les coûts liés au change et de l' élimination du risque de change pour les transactions avec les partenaires où les paiements sont réglées en monnaie commune dans la zone.

Il s'agit aussi de l'élimination de l'incertitude liée au risque de change pour les investisseurs, des compétitions et d'une meilleure compatibilité des prix où il n'y aura plus de segmentation de marché et où les prix auront tendance à être les mêmes dans la zone monétaire. En outre, l'Union monétaire soutient le Marché commun, un des piliers de la CEA, et aide à maintenir la discipline budgétaire puisque tous les Etats partenaires vont adopter les mêmes règles humanitaires.

Avant de postuler à l'Union monétaire de la CEA, les Etats de la CEA doivent répondre à une série de préalables. A ce propos, le Burundi bénéficie d'une période de 10 ans avant d'accéder à une monnaie unique en 2024.

Selon le paragraphe 2 de l'article 5 du Traité portant création de la CEA, les Etats partenaires de la Communauté (Kenya, Tanzanie, Ouganda, Rwanda, Burundi) se sont engagés à établir entre eux une Union douanière, un Marché commun, une Union monétaire, et en phase ultime, une Fédération politique.




Francophonie: la candidature de Pierre Buyoya laiss e indifférent à Bujumbura

Source: Panapress

Bujumbura, 27 novembre 2014 - Il faut rafraîchir sérieusement les mémoires et forcer parfois la discussion jusque dans les milieux politiques et intellectuels à Bujumbura pour avoir quelques réactions sur les chances de l’ancien président de la République du Burundi, Pierre Buyoya, de prendre les rênes de la Francophonie, peu de jours avant le verdict des chefs d’Etat membres de ce grand ensemble linguistique et culturel qui est prévu à Dakar, au Sénégal.

L’homme se bat pratiquement seul depuis plusieurs mois à l’extérieur du pays, dans l’espoir de sortir vainqueur du très disputé poste de nouveau Secrétaire général de la Francophonie, en remplacement du Sénégalais, Abdou Diouf.

L’ancien homme d’Etat a toujours eu du mal à être «prophète» chez lui et n’a même pas pris la peine d’organiser une seule conférence de presse au pays natal sur le sujet, de mémoire de journaliste à Bujumbura.

Les Burundais le comprenaient encore moins quand il se mit à initier la politique nationale de l’unité ou encore la démocratisation du pays dans les années 1990.

Et pourtant, une fois élu, « il ne manquera pas d’en faire profiter à son pays qui sera davantage cité et connu à travers le monde», selon des réponses des milieux intellectuels à Bujumbura qui restent aussi convaincus que la Francophonie pourrait générer des emplois pour des Burundais de la suite de l’élection de l'ancien président Buyoya.

Des commentaires des milieux intellectuels estiment que Buyoya peut être un rempart sûr contre l’extinction annoncée du français dans une région des Grands Lacs aux prises avec la montée en puissance de l’anglophonie.

Sur le plan international, par contre, l’ancien président burundais ne force plus la reconnaissance des mérites intellectuels et politiques quand on sait que depuis quelques temps, il est de toutes les médiations dans des crises comme au Mali, au sud du Soudan, tantôt justement pour le compte de la Francophonie, tantôt pour celui de l’Union africaine (UA).

On rappelle que cinq candidats sont dans la course pour succéder à Abdou Diouf, à savoir Michaelle Jean du Canada, Pierre Buyoya du Burundi, Jean-Claude De L’Estrac de l’île Maurice, Henri Lopès du Congo et Augustin Nze Nfumu de la Guinée équatoriale.




6 dead as militias fight UN in CAR

Source: Reuters

Shooting erupted in Cantonnier, a town on the borde r with Cameroon, west of the capital Bangui.

Bangui, 27 November 2014 - At least six people were killed and around 10 were injured in western Central African Republic during clashes pitting Christian militia fighters against UN peacekeepers, a town residents and local journalist said on Thursday.

Shooting erupted in Cantonnier, a town on the border with Cameroon around 600 km west of the capital Bangui, Wednesday afternoon when soldiers from the UN mission, known as MINUSCA, attempted to disarm so-called anti-balaka fighters.

Central African Republic descended into chaos when the mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the majority Christian state in March 2013, ousting President Francois Bozize.

A backlash from the mostly Christian or animist anti-balaka militia led to clashes that have killed thousands, displaced around a million people, and brought de facto partition of the country.

“Yesterday the anti-balaka came out to clean their weapons. Bystanders alerted MINUSCA who came to take the weapons. But they refused. They started to shoot and MINUSCA fired back,” said Firmin Yaiman, a journalist in the town.

The gunfire continued for several hours, another resident of Cantonnier told Reuters by telephone.

Two anti-balaka fighters were killed in the clash and the bodies of four civilians believed to have been struck by stray bullets were recovered in neighbourhoods near the scene of the violence on Thursday, the Yaiman and the witness said.

The injured were admitted to the town’s hospital, they said.

Violence has continued despite deployment of the UN mission, which could not confirm the death toll from Wednesday’s clash.

“I know there was an exchange of fire in Cantonnier when our forces were on patrol and were attacked by armed people near the town’s police station,” MINUSCA spokesperson Myriam Dessables said.

Central African Republic is rich in diamonds, uranium and gold but it has been plagued by coups and misrule since independence from France in 1960, leaving it one of the world’s most impoverished countries.




U.N. Marks International Day for Eliminating Violen ce against Women

Source: IPS

United Nations, Nov 25 2014 - The United Nations marked the International Day for Eliminating Violence against Women with the colour orange.

New York City buildings, including the United Nations headquarters and the Empire State Building were last night illuminated in orange. The campaign aims to bring attention to what U.N. Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka described as a “massive and pervasive human rights violation.”

Sudanese community members also marked the day with a demonstration outside U.N. headquarters to raise awareness about ongoing violence against women and girls in their home country.

In light of an alleged mass rape of 200 women in Tabit last month, Sudanese community members called on the United Nations and the international community to investigate and to hold the Sudanese government and those responsible accountable.

Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih, a Sudanese activist, and the 2012 recipient of the International Woman of Courage Award, told IPS: “We came here today to tell the international community, the U.N. Security Council and the U.S. government about the violence against women in Darfur and in Sudan.”

“Our girls need immediate action,” she said. “It has been 12 years and the genocide in Darfur is still going on. Women are killed every day. And women are raped every day.”

Salih called on The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) to protect women and bring peace to Sudan and Darfur and for those responsible to be taken to the International Criminal Court.

Mohamed Ebead the President of the Darfur People’s Association told IPS: “We are here because of the mass rape on October 21st in a city called Tabit in North Darfur. We want to push the U.N. to do something to have an investigation about the mass rape.”

The UNAMID investigation into the alleged rapes has been hindered by the ongoing heavy presence of military and police in the town of Tabit. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked the Government of Sudan to grant “unfettered access” so that the alleged rapes can be investigated.

“Far too often, sexual and gender-based crimes go unpunished and the perpetrators walk free. Society turns a blind eye and a deaf ear,” U.N. Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said in her speech at the official U.N. commemoration of the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women today.




“No country, no culture, no age group is untouched by this massive and pervasive human rights violation,” she said. Mlambo-Ngcuka said it was important for men and boys to stand up against violence,

“We all have a role in changing norms that accept or ignore violence and confer sexual entitlement,”

“This includes having more men and boys standing up against violence, denouncing it, and stopping it,” she said.

Ban said, “Violence against women and girls is a global pandemic that destroys lives, fractures communities and holds back development.”

“It is not confined to any region, political system, culture or social class. It is present at every level of every society in the world. It happens in peacetime and becomes worse during conflict.”

“But violence against women and girls does not emerge from nowhere.”

“It is simply the most extreme example of the political, financial, social and economic oppression of women and girls worldwide,” he added.

Security Council extends UN mission in South Sudan till May 2015

Source: Sudan Tribune

New York, 26 November 2014 - The Security Council on Tuesday unanimously renewed the mandate for a 12,500-strong United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for six months with a focus on the protection of civilians.

In an adopted resolution, the Council extended UNMISS mandate until 30 May 2015.

The UN, currently sheltering about 100,000 displaced people at its protection of civilian sites, is also expected to facilitate relief assistance and monitor human rights.

Like it previously did, the Council also authorised UNMISS to use “all necessary means” to protect civilians, monitor and investigate human rights, create conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance, and support implementation of the ceasefire deal.

The Council also requested UNMISS to focus and streamline its activities, across its military, police and civilian components, in order to achieve progress on the above-mentioned tasks, but stressed that certain mission tasks will therefore be ceased.




The Council, in its resolution, also urged South Sudan authorities and all relevant parties to fully cooperate in UNMISS’ deployment, operations and monitoring, verification and reporting functions.

South Sudan government, the Council stressed, should ensure freedom of movement for internally displaced persons, including those leaving and entering protection of civilian sites, and to continue to support UNMISS by allocating land for such sites.

The mission will, however, maintain the 1,323 police forces it approved last year after political in-fighting between president Salva Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar turned into a full-fledged conflict forcing thousands of civilians to flee into UN bases around the country.

Envoy Welcomes Mandate

Francis Deng, the South Sudanese ambassador to the UN welcomed the new mandate, but warned that sanctions against the new nation would worsen the conflict.

"A sustainable solution to the current crisis in South Sudan cannot be achieved by the imposition of sanctions, which is now being talked about," Deng said on Tuesday.

He appealed to the international community to assist the young nation in efforts to achieve sustainable peace by helping both parties to reach an agreement.

Imposing sanctions on the warring parties would make them confrontational instead of pushing them towards cooperation and peace, Deng told the UN Security Council.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in the country’s nearly one year conflict, with aid agencies anticipating possible outbreak of famine.

La chef de l'humanitaire de l'ONU Valerie Amos va q uitter son poste

Source: Centre d'Actualités des Nations Unies

26 novembre 2014 - Le Secrétaire général des Nations Unies, Ban Ki-moon, a annoncé mercredi que la Secrétaire générale adjointe aux affaires humanitaires, Valerie Amos, l'avait informé de sa décision de quitter son poste.

M. Ban lui a exprimé sa gratitude pour son travail à la tête de l'humanitaire des Nations Unies.

« Sa grande expérience, son leadership et son travail en partenariat avec les dirigeants de la communauté humanitaire ont permis de trouver des solutions pour les personnes qui sont confrontées aux pires expériences de leur vie », a dit le chef de l'ONU dans une déclaration à la presse.




« Mme Amos a inlassablement plaidé en faveur de personnes dans le monde touchées par des catastrophes et des conflits. Pour elle, les gens ont toujours été la priorité. Elle a également travaillé en étroite collaboration avec les travailleurs humanitaires qui risquent souvent leur vie pour servir les gens qui en ont le plus besoin », a-t-il ajouté.

Le Secrétaire général a également noté qu'à un moment où le système humanitaire est particulièrement sous pression, Mme Amos a également dirigé les préparatifs du Sommet humanitaire mondial qui se déroulera en 2016 et qui permettra d'identifier de nouvelles façons de répondre aux besoins humanitaires dans notre monde.

SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES ‘UTMOST GRATITUDE’ TO UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AN D EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR VALERIE AMOS FOLLOWING HER DECISION TO STEP DOWN

The following statement by United Nations Secretary -General Ban Ki-moon was issued today [26 November 2014]:

Ms. Valerie Amos has informed me of her intention to step down as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. I would like to express my utmost gratitude for her outstanding service to the United Nations, the humanitarian community and people in need.

Ms. Amos has led the humanitarian response of the United Nations and partners including Non-Governmental Organizations, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, national authorities, civil society, the private sector and many others to devastating natural disasters and conflicts. Her extensive experience, leadership and work in partnership with Principals from the humanitarian community, has helped find solutions for people who are facing the worst experiences in their lives.

Ms. Amos has tirelessly advocated for people around the world affected by disaster and conflict. For her, people have always come first. She also worked closely with humanitarian workers who often risk their own lives to serve people most in need.

At a time when the humanitarian system is particularly stretched, Ms. Amos also led the preparations for my World Humanitarian Summit to be held in 2016, which will identify new ways to tackle humanitarian needs in our fast-changing world and set a new agenda for global humanitarian action.




Angola: Foreign Minister Georges Chikoti Meets With German Counterpart

Source: Angola Press

Berlin, 27 November 2014 - The Angolan minister of Foreign Affairs, Georges Rebelo Chikoti, is making an official visit to Germany, is to meet this Thursday with his local counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

In the meeting, the two officials may touch on matters of bilateral interest, as well as important current international affairs, with highlight on Africa, especially the southern region, but also the Great Lakes region, whose peace process has received a new dynamics from the organisation's current chairman, the Angolan President, José Eduardo dos Santos, as recognised by international sources.

The German minister of Foreign Affairs visited Angola last March 26, at that time he stressed that the bilateral relations go a long way back and are close, however still in need of improvements, adding that there is a great potential to develop them.

"Angola is interesting in the perspective of the foreign policy, because we have similar initiatives in the attempt to stabilise the whole region, and in a perspective of economic policy it is interesting, because the economic situation makes room for co-operation also for the German firms, so we are going after these opportunities", said the German Foreign minister.

On Wednesday, at a meeting with Angolan Embassy staff, in Berlin, minister Chikoti stressed the importance of the relations with Germany and congratulated ambassador Alberto Correia Neto and his team on the work he has been doing in this country in favour of the strengthening and widening of the strategic relations between Angola and Germany.

On his turn, the Angolan ambassador to Germany, Alberto Correia Neto, manifested his satisfaction at the visit of the minister, commending him for his good work at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, under the leadership of President José Eduardo dos Santos.

Angola is currently Germany's third main economic partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with over twenty German companies operating in Angola.

Sudan: Gunmen on camels kill 15 in Darfur

Source: AFP

Khartoum, 28 November 2014 - Gunmen on camels have killed 15 civilians and wounded 10 others in an attack in Sudan's South Darfur, the region's government said in a statement.




The attack took place in the Hammadeh area 80 kilometres north of the state capital Nyala, the statement carried by official new agency SUNA said Wednesday.

"We have formed a commission of inquiry into the killing of the citizens in the Hammadeh area," state governor Adam Jar al-Nabi told SUNA.

One of those wounded who talked to SUNA from the hospital in Nyala said the group had been visiting family in Hammadeh and were returning on Tuesday when the attack took place.

"Gunmen on camelback attacked us and opened fire on the vehicle, and killed 13 people," the man named as Abdul Karim said.

Two of the casualties died on Wednesday morning from their wounds, he added.

The report did not say how many gunmen had attacked the vehicle and gave no indication of their identity.

The troubled western region of Darfur has been wracked by lawlessness since 2003, when ethnic insurgents rebelled against the mostly Arab government in Khartoum, complaining of their marginalisation.

The conflict has claimed 3,00,000 lives and displaced two million people, according to the UN, and President Omar al-Bashir and his defence minister are wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in the region.

Rising criminality and disputes between Darfur's various Arab tribes over resources and water have seen the region sink further into lawlessness in recent years.

South Sudanese rebels accuse government of renewed hostilities


Addis Ababa, 27 November 2014 – South Sudanese rebel group led by the former vice-president, Riek Machar, have accused government troops loyal to president Salva Kiir of allegedly attacking their positions in Fangak county in Jonglei state.

The attacks according to the rebels’ military spokesman, Brig Lul Ruai Koang, began on Wednesday, 26 November, and fighting was continuing.

“Kiir’s genocidal forces commanded by Brig. Gen. John Maluit Wei today renewed hostilities against our combat units by launching simultaneous attacks on several defensive positions which included; Pachot, Maan-Nyang, Thak En Char, Dor and Biel,” Brig Koang said in a statement seen by Sudan Tribune.




“Phom El Zaref, the Administrative HQs of Fangak county in northern Jonglei state also came under heavy shelling for the second consecutive day from Uluak on western bank of the White Nile in Panyikang County, Upper Nile,” he added.

Koang however said that the rebel forces under overall command of Maj. Gen. Gabriel Tangiye repulsed all the attackers to Canal.

Other local sources on the ground however told Sudan Tribune that the town had fallen under the full control of the government troops.

The opposition spokesperson accused the government of renewing the hostilities, saying the attacks once again demonstrated government’s belief in military option and lack of commitment to peaceful resolution of the 11-month old conflict.

The attacks come weeks after monitors from the warring parties attended a joint workshop on operationalisation of the Matrix on Cessation of Hostilities agreement signed in January 2014.

“It seems the attacks were aimed at demoralising delegates and spoiling the would be conducive atmosphere of much anticipated SPLM/SPLA Consultative meeting with theme: “in search of Sustainable Peace and Good Governance” due to be held in South Sudan in the next few days,” Koang further explained.

He said the SPLA (opposition) reiterated its commitment to all agreements signed by the political leadership but “reserves the right to fight in self-defence in the face of continued and unprovoked attacks.”

He did not say whether there were casualties in the recent clashes.

S. Sudanese rebel delegations meet Museveni in Kamp ala


Kampala, 27 November 2014 - A high-level delegation of the rebel faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) on Thursday met with the Ugandan president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in Kampala.

The delegation led by the SPLM-IO deputy chairman, General Alfred Ladu Gore, also included the rebels chairman for external affairs relations committee, Dhieu Mathok Diing and chairman for information and public relations committee, Mabior Garang de Mabior.

In a statement he posted on social media on Thursday, Mabior praised what he called “revolutionary Ugandan comrades” for making the mission successful.




“...last minute changes through the efforts of revolutionary Ugandan comrades of the Uganda Peace Support Team...under Senior Comrade Salim Saleh...has ensured the success of the SPLM/SPLA delegation’s mission to Uganda,” Mabior said in his comments without giving further details on the outcome of the meeting.

Other rebel sources however told Sudan Tribune that the mission was a follow up on previous attempts to arrange a meeting between president Museveni and the rebel leader, Riek Machar.

Rebels delegates led by Gore had in the past travelled to Kampala but failed to meet president Museveni who only delegated his brother Salim Saleh to meet the rebels.

The opposition faction has been asking Uganda to withdraw its troops from South Sudan and stop supporting President Salva Kiir’s government.

The rebels also said they wanted to establish good relations with the Ugandan government in areas of diplomacy and humanitarian interventions in which SPLM-IO has established office in Kampala for the purpose.

Kampala had in the past resisted the call to withdraw its forces which have been fighting alongside president Kiir’s soldiers against Machar’s rebel group.

Khartoum summons Ugandan diplomat over President Mu seveni’s remarks


Khartoum, 27 November 2014 - The Sudanese foreign ministry on Thursday summoned Uganda’s ambassador in protest after it emerged that president Yoweri Museveni accused Sudan of seeking to take advantage of the South Sudanese conflict.

According to the Sudanese foreign ministry, Museveni in a meeting held with South Sudanese officials, said Khartoum constantly celebrates fighting between South Sudanese and plans to plunder its southern neighbour’s wealth.

Khartoum neither gave details about the date of the meeting nor identity of the South Sudanese officials president Museveni met.

“The foreign ministry summoned the Ugandan chargé d’affaires and informed him of the government’s refusal to what it considered a negative statements issued by President Museveni, during a meeting with leaders from South Sudan,” said the acting head of the department of neighbouring countries, Bukhari al-Affendi on Thursday.

Sudan does not need evidence to clarify its position on the stability of the situation in South Sudan, al-Affendi further said, pointing to the support of his government for the




East African regional bloc (IGAD) efforts to end the South Sudanese crisis and his government decision to open its border for the South Sudanese fleeing the conflict.

“All this refutes any attempts to sow seeds of discord between Sudan and South Sudan,” the Sudanese diplomat emphasised.

Following the eruption of the South Sudanese conflict in December 2013, president Omer al-Bashir was keen to show his support to the government of President Salva Kiir and called for a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Last August, Bashir also received the former vice-president and rebel leader Riek Machar and vowed to support efforts for a negotiated settlement.

Relations between Sudan and Uganda were always tense and tumultuous. The two countries accuse each other of supporting rebel groups. Kampala regularly says that Khartoum harbours Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels while the latter accuses the Ugandan government of training and supporting Sudanese rebel groups.

Also Khartoum is very anxious about the Ugandan military presence in South Sudan.

On 4 November, the Sudanese army spokesperson al-Sawarmi Khaled said Juba government uses Ugandan warplanes to raid rebel positions near the joint border, pointing they observed the massive presence Ugandan airplanes in South Sudan.

Sudan government and Darfur rebels fail to agree


By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

Addis Ababa, 27 November 2014 - As peace talks between the Sudanese government and two rebels groups from the Darfur region, enters the fifth day in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the two sides have failed to strike an agreement.

Since 23 November, Sudanese government delegations and representatives of two rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Minnawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement, (SLM-MM) are engaged in talks on a cessation of hostilities and security arrangements in Darfur.

Ahmed Tugud Lissan, chief negotiator on behalf of the two rebel groups on Thursday told Sudan Tribune that the two sides have created a “huge gap” on reaching agreement on agenda of the African Union-brokered peace process.

Lissan said the government has maintained its position on looking for a quick agreement on cessation of hostility and then to carry on with the national dialogue.




“This is not the right approach. There are a number of other national issues that must be resolved before jumping in to the second stage of national dialogue,” he said further, noting a need for settling issues regarding war affected areas.

Both sides, on Thursday, held preliminary a consultation meeting with the mediators.

“We are planning to enlighten reasons behind why the items of agenda we attached are important,” said Tugod.

Earlier on Thursday, the two sides held their first direct engagement on cessation of hostility in the presence of the mediation.

Accordingly, both sides discussed and interacted on draft proposal presented by the AU chief mediator, but failed to bridge differences.

With regard to the draft proposal, the rebel chief negotiator said his team partially accepts it, but expressed discontent.

“It is not enough and more is needed to be incorporated for discussion” Tugod said adding “The draft proposal is missing important issues which need to be discussed”.

Rebels Demands

Following the meeting, the rebel groups issued a joint statement saying that the AUHIP proposed a draft agenda for the discussions including security arrangements, political issues, humanitarian issues, relationship between the Darfur track and the national dialogue, and the method of negotiations.

The rebel statement further said the “proposed agenda overlooked many of the core issues” and therefore suggested to add 1- land, land, Hawakeer, borders and nomad issues, 2- compensation, 3- refugees and IDPs 4- reconstruction and development issues.

“However, the government delegation rejected the inclusion of the mentioned points in the agenda on the pretext that the negotiating team does not have a mandate to discuss the roots of the Darfur crisis and its consequences,” the statement said.

Rebels want the talks in Addis Ababa to be comprehensive but the government delegation has insisted the negotiations must be an extension of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

A government delegation representative Mohamed Mohamed Khair to his side stressed that Khartoum’s negotiating team wasn’t entitled to engage on other issues other than cessation of hostility and security arrangement in accordance to DDPD.

Khair said engaging on comprehensive national issues as demanded by the rebels would mean “reopening fresh talks that we have already reached agreement before”




However, he said government delegation has no objection to discuss humanitarian situation within the security arrangement.

Khair is pessimist that the ongoing Addis Ababa peace talks which aim to end over a decade long conflict in Darfur would yield positive outcome.

“I don’t think an agreement will be reached” he said adding “the mediation is most likely to suspend the talks for a while and we take the agenda back to Khartoum”

Conflict in Darfur, a region in western Sudan, which started in 2003 has killed an estimated 300,000 people and displaced nearly two million.

OSESG-GL - Media Monitoring, 28 November 2014 · 27 novembre 2014 - Après plusieurs mois de...

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